Owing to the availability of hand controls for operating motor vehicles, many disabled persons who find it necessary to use wheelchairs for their transportation alternative to walking have acquired a certain degree of autonomy in vehicular transportation. One problem facing the disabled driver, however, in operating the passenger vehicle using hand controls is the handling of the driver's wheelchair in which the driver typically approaches the vehicle. Some of the same problems are faced, of course, by wheelchair users riding as passengers. One widely used system is that which utilizes conversion kits for large passenger vans. In such systems elevators are employed in which a wheelchair may be lifted from the ground to a level even with the floor of the van and the wheelchair then moved into the van and in some instances into the driver's position of the vehicle. Such systems suffer from certain major disadvantages in spite of the fact that they do provide the mobility intended for the disabled driver. These systems are extremely costly and add considerable weight to an already heavy vehicle, adversely affecting its fuel economy. In addition, such systems are conspicuous when viewed from the outside of the vehicle; and this is considered undesirable, particularly from a personal security standpoint.
Another "system" in common use is the use of two door passenger cars equipped merely with a hand control system for operating the vehicle. For certain highly autonomous disabled drivers, this system provides a nonconspicuous system providing vehicular mobility. Disadvantageously, however, it generally requires entry to and egress from the vehicle by the disabled driver through the driver side door on the "traffic" side of the vehicle and manual positioning of the wheelchair in the back seat of the vehicle by the disabled driver. Since it is well known that there are wide variances in the degree of disability encountered with drivers having the strength and dexterity necessary to operate a vehicle, it is clear that this latter system is not suitable for a wide range of disabled drivers, including those lacking the capability of personally stowing the wheelchair.